Heat and cold packs are commonly applied to various areas of the human body to relieve a variety of ailments including muscle strains, muscle soreness, and tissue swelling. Moreover, heat and cold packs are also used for general comfort, such as keeping an individual warm in a cold environment or cooling one or more parts of an individual's body experiencing heat related distresses.
In order to maximize the effectiveness and convenience of heat and cold packs, a number of apparatus, such as wraps, have been developed to hold the heat or cold pack in position. Leg wraps, torso wraps and wrist wraps are common apparatus for holding a heat or cold pack in the desired position. In addition to these, neck wraps have also been developed for positioning a heat or cold pack around an individual's neck.
The neck is an increasingly sensitive area that can benefit greatly from application of a heat or cold pack. Currently available apparatus for positioning a heat or cold pack around the neck of an individual, however, can significantly restrict movement of the individual and are generally uncomfortable. U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,949, for example, provides a neck apparatus that encircles or encloses the neck of a user like a collar (e.g. FIG. 7). Such an arrangement is restrictive to head and neck movement and can result in injury if pulled by an external force. As a result, neck apparatus that encircle the neck cannot be used by athletes in contact sports or other individuals at risk of having the neck apparatus pulled upon. Furthermore, an encircling neck apparatus cannot be worn for an extended period of time without experiencing significant discomfort.